Cheesy Macaroni and Ketchup
by youcantcatchmeimdead
Summary: After his wife's death, Gary is broken and unstable. Ash steps in to take care of both Gary and his young daughter Daisy. ASHXGARY fluff, deaddawnXgary  profoakXdelia and traceyXmisty too, but only if you squint


Pairing: ash/satoshiXgary/shigeru Rating: T for Kisses and Implied Almost-Sex Word Count: 1573 **bold **is narration. _italics _are flashbacks.

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.

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**My name is Daisy Oak, and I am nine years old.**

**When Mommy died three years ago, I thought my family was broken forever. After the first week, Daddy really changed. He was angry at the smallest things, and even Granddad couldn't stop the drinking. That's when Uncle Ash stepped in. **

"_Hey Cutie-Pie." Ash greeted the six year old girl._

_"Uncle Ash!" Daisy giggled and hugged his leg. "I'm eating dinner, want some?"_

"_That... is a bag of tootsie rolls and a yodel. Hardly dinner, if you ask me." He raised an eyebrow, "Did your dad say it's okay to eat that?" _

_She shrugged, "Yeah, Daddy said I could make dinner! He didn't want any though." Daisy looked confused by this, as if it were impossible to not want to eat such a great meal._

_ "Alright kiddo, how about I make you some macaroni and cheese, or something. Okay?" He jokingly threw her over his shoulder and brought the small girl into the kitchen. She shrieked with joy as he kissed her forehead. Daisy watched with interest as he bustled around the room, preparing her a dinner that didn't involve candy nor chocolate snack cakes._

_ "Is it ready yet, Uncle Ash?" _

_"Haha, almost." The two peered curiously into the microwave, watching cheese bubble over the edge of the tv dinner. "You think you can eat it all?"_

_ "Uh-huh. I'm going to grow big and strong, and be a pokemon master. Like you!" She bounced eagerly, and squealed as the timer went off. _

_After carefully removing the dish, Ash brought out a red bottle. "Hey. Want to try something really yummy, Squirt? You just pour some ketchup on top of your macaroni and cheese... and VOILA!"_

_ Her face twisted in disgust, "Ewwwwwwww, ketchup on my mac and cheese? It sounds icky."_

_ He laughed easily and patted her head. "Don't knock it until you try it. While traveling the world, trainers have to be able to improvise. You learn fast that ketchup goes with EVERYTHING." _

_After taking several hesitant bites, a grin spread across her face. "S'good!" Daisy said, talking with her mouth full. _

_"Okay sweetheart. I'm going to go talk to your daddy." He stood to leave, and smiled at the little girl, "Stay here and eat for me?" _

_Ash made his way into the living room, taking note of the upturned coffee table and smashed lamp. "Gary? Where the hell are you?" Upon hearing a low groan coming from the bathroom, he stormed in that direction._

_ The brunette was laying flat on the floor, looking dazed. "Mmmm? Ashy-boy?" _

_"Are you drunk?" He hissed. _

_"Only a little bit.'" _

_"What is your problem? Professor Oak wanted me to come over and check up on you, because you hadn't been to the lab in weeks. He said you weren't answering calls, and was pretty sure that you were drinking way too much. I guess he's right about that..."_

_ "What's it to ya?" Gary groaned and squinted his eyes into what would have been a sneer if he wasn't looking so nauseous at the same time. _

_Ash crossed his arms, "It's nothing to me, but did you know your six year old daughter made herself 'dinner' out of a sack of candy?" _

_"No, I guess I haven't been doing the best job with her, huh."_

_"No kidding, I guess Dawn was the family cook and shopper."_

_"Why'd she do this to me? I need her Ash. I can't do this by myself." He wept. "I can't handle the kid right now." _

*slap*

"_Have you just given up? You're just going to stop being the great father I know you are? The great father _your wife _knew you were? I know things are rough right now, but people die, Gary! You aren't the first person to lose someone they love!"_

_Gary looked up, tears free falling down his face, "You jus' don' understand." He slurred, before turning a sick green color and scrambling for the toilet. _

_Ash groaned, and helped keep his friend's hair back. "W-we all miss Dawn. She was one of my best friends! But right now you aren't just hurting yourself. Daisy needs her dad." _

_He sat up, looking thoroughly drained. His skin was clammy, and covered in sweat. "I know..." _

"_Then get your selfish ass in bed. If I even hear a RUMOR that you are drinking again, it'll be your death sentence." The younger man's eyes flashed dangerously. _

"_HA! Even drunk I could take y-you." He collapsed into Ash's arms._

_*knock knock*_

"_Daddy? Is everything okay? I heard yelling..." Daisy stood at the door, clutching Pikachu to her body._

"_Daddy is going to bed, okay?" Ash sighed as he carried the other boy out, "I'll come tuck you into bed in a minute."_

**Uncle Ash dumped all of Daddy's drinks down the toilet, and didn't get mad when Daddy called him mean names. Uncle Ash even let Daddy cry on his shoulder, but Daddy started crying a lot less once Uncle Ash started living with us. He even started bringing us on 'family trips' like the beach, or picnics in the park.**

"_I swear, SOMETHING is going on between Misty and Tracy." Ash raised his arms dramatically, as though this were important news._

"_Are you such a loser that you didn't realize this three MONTHS ago when they moved in together?" Gary laughed, and took a sip of his water bottle. _

_Daisy giggled innocently, clinging to Umbreon's tail and whispered in it's ear, "Does that mean Daddy and Uncle Ash have 'something going on' too?" Her father choked on his drink, and started to cough._

"_DAISY! Don't say things like that." He wiped the spilt water off his chin, and began unpacking the sandwiches. _

"_Why not, Daddy? You and Uncle Ash live together." It seemed her attention span had ended already though, because she was already chasing pikachu around the blanket. _

_Gary blushed and scooted a few inches further away from his friend. Coughing awkwardly, he busied himself with setting up the food._

"_Awwww, is the great Gary Oak embarrassed? Who's the loser now?" Ash smirked, though he was blushing as well._

_The brunette smiled lightly, "You still are, Ashy-boy."_

**Uncle Ash never gave up on my daddy, even when everybody else did. I can't remember a time, even before Mommy left, that he smiled and laughed so much. Daddy hardly ever cries anymore, which I think is all because of Uncle Ash. **

"_Perfect!" The brown haired girl tied a single red ribbon to Pikachu's ear. "Now we all match!" She adjusted her own bow, which was tied around her pony tail. Umbreon, as well, had a ribbon adorning it's ear. The two pokemon had been handed to Daisy, and told to 'play nice.' Things had been going fine, until she took out her old pink dresses and decided they'd look great on the pokemon. Ten minutes of struggling later, pikachu and umbreon were wearing the girliest of her baby clothes, despite them both being boys. _

"_Wait until Daddy sees!" Daisy jumped up and down, and lead them down the hall. Pikachu gave her a reproachful look, but Umbreon had given in. She is, after all, his master's daughter. "Daaaddy! Look what I did to-" _

_She did not see what she expected to see. No, she'd been told that Daddy and Uncle Ash were going to be working in the office, and needed some alone time. Young as she was, Daisy was pretty sure that work did not entail being half naked. _

"_Daisy! I told you we were busy." Gary pushed the clueless idiot off him. "Is everything alright?" He said breathlessly._

"_Yup! Look how pretty I made Pikachu and Umbr'on*." She rocked back and forth on her heels._

_Ash hurried to put his shirt back on, while the brunette sighed, "They're beautiful, but try and knock next time, okay sweetie?"_

"_Okay Daddy." Daisy smiled, and asked curiously, "What were you and Uncle Ash doin'?"_

_He sat up straight, a panicked look in his eye, and Ash rushed to explain, "We were... we were... well, I... was practicing CPR? No wait, not that. Um, well-"_

"_I love him." Gary cut in before approaching her slowly. "I love him, just like I loved your Mommy." Daisy nodded, still confused. "We love each other, Daisy. And we would never do anything that makes you upset... It's been two years since your mother died and if it's alright with you, I'd like for Uncle Ash to be a big part of both our lives from now on."_

_She stretched up and hugged him. "Mhhmm. I love you Daddy, and I really like Uncle Ash too."_

**I know Daddy is still sad that Mommy's gone forever, but things aren't as bad as they were. Uncle Ash and Daddy go together like cheesy macaroni and ketchup; unexpected but awesome. **

"_Honey, Uncle Ash and I have something to tell you." _

"_Yeah Daddy?" Daisy sat down on the couch, opposite where her father sat. _

"_You know that we've been dating for a year now, right?" Ash squeezed his lover's hand before continuing, "And even though we argue sometimes, and besides the fact that your Daddy is a pompous jerk who thinks he's the best thing since max revive... you know that we love each other, right?"_

"_Yup. Like how Aunty Delia and Granddad love each other?" _

_Gary chuckled. "Exactly like that."_

"_Because I love your Daddy so much..." _

"_And because I love Ash, even though he annoys the hell out of me..."_

"_We are getting married."_

**I'm glad Daddy is happy now.**

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Just some notes to make sense of the story, there is a year between each flashback. The first one takes place a few weeks after Dawn's death, the next is a year later, all the way until the last one takes place three years from her death.

Her 'Granddad' is Samuel Oak, if that wasn't obvious.

*Daisy has trouble pronouncing Umbreon. Give her a break, she's only seven.


End file.
